Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar...Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab...Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth...David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife...and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus...
Five women are listed in Matthew's genealogy of Christ. Tamar slept with her father-in-law in order to obtain the son who, according to their culture, was hers by right. Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth was a foreigner, from an ungodly pagan land. Bathsheba cheated on her husband, Uriah, and was impregnated by King David, who then had Uriah killed. Mary was a young virgin, with child by the Holy Spirit, but betrothed to Joseph.
What we see here is that Jesus' human family tree was far from perfect. God chose an unworthy cast of characters through whom He would fulfill His promise.
Because of Jesus, these women were not defined by their pasts. Because of Jesus, we are not either. Whatever mistakes we have made, whatever people say about us, however the world wants to label us - Jesus can set us free.
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